An IRS official apologized on Friday to tea party organizations and other conservative groups for inappropriately targeting them during the 2012 election, the Associated Press reports.

The groups, which enjoyed tax-exempt status under the internal revenue code, were singled out for additional scrutiny of their tax exemption if their names included the words "tea party" or "patriot." In several cases, the groups were asked to provide a list of donors for review, usually a violation of IRS policy.

"That was wrong. That was absolutely incorrect, it was insensitive, and it was inappropriate. That's not how we go about selecting cases," said Lois Lerner, the head of the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt groups. "The IRS would like to apologize for that."

Lerner said the additional scrutiny was initiated by lower-level employees working out of Cincinnati...

I believe THIS is the gift that will keep on giving long after Benghazi is forgotten. I fully expect Republicans to hammer Dimocratz leading up to the 2014 midterms, then in the 2016 Prez election and on and on in the future with a script built around “using the IRS as a weapon.”

"That was wrong. That was absolutely incorrect, it was insensitive, and it was inappropriate...but absolutely SOP for 'rats - get into power and then use any and every government agency and avenue to keep yourself there and destroy those who would challenge you - it's a disgrace......

Make an example of these thugs. A message needs to be sent that we are not going to take this anymore. I’ll bet they’ll squeal like pigs with the right pressure. The low-level employees aren’t going to go to jail for their higher ups. Unless, of course, Soros pays them off.

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